Archery Antelope Advice.

[NV_Adam]

My name is Adam. I’ve never been Antelope hunting and I’m looking for some advice for my wife’s hunt. My wife drew a horns longer than ears tag in Central Nevada, in the areas south of Battle Mountain. We’ve been to this area hunting Mule Deer in the past and I know this area is full of pronghorn. However does anyone have any advice on how she can get close enough with her bow to take an antelope? Sit water? Cow blind? Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

 

[Trslabaugh]

Haven't used one for antelope, but I have fooled a younger whitetail buck with an Ultimate Predator decoy. I've seen videos of them at work with antelope though. Antelope are curious too so that helps. If my first hunt this year would have been antelope, I would have tried to get my hands on one. The buck one is out of stock or I'd go ahead and get one with hopes of hunting them in OK this year.

 

[NV_Adam]

Ok. I appreciate that idea. I’ll look into it.

 

[renello]

I would set up a ground blind near water as probably the best option. Is your wife well practiced with a bow? Crossbows legal in wyoming I think it might be worth a look at onX maps and use promo code "RANDY" for 20% discount. Locate water holes, drainage ditches, creeks. I have found water in some odd places before. I would mix in the decoy option if your so inclined but also look for features that may allow a stalk. My wife did it with a crossbow using a drainage ditch. I've done it on open ground with ragged contours. You could sneak along and pop your head up and glass. Antelope move around and if your patient they make mistakes. You will have a great time, type of hunt suited to family adventure. Good luck.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Welcome to HT!

 

[p_ham]

Welcome! Your best bet is to sit water or pattern them and ambush. I personally dont have the fortitude to sit a blind for any length of time, let alone in August. You can stalk them but it is TOUGH. I had an archery tag last year near Eureka and had a blast. What worked best for me was sneaking in while they were feeding or bedded. Take it SLOOOWW and pay attention to the wind. I must've blown 15 stalks before it worked out. Good luck!

 

[Brian in Montana]

Lots of people running around with decoys these days in archery season, not doing much more than just stirring up the herd and giving them a good education. Your best bet will be a ground blind 30yds down wind of a water hole. Bring plenty of water and reading materials. I hear a lot of people talk about not having the patience for that, but you'll have your best chance with archery doing that. I really enjoy watching the wildlife through binos. Sometimes you can see a lot of interesting things that way.

 

[Goatshoes]

I imagine water hole is best odds, but your wife will have serious bragging rites if she pulls if off by spot and stalk.

Good Luck.

 

[NV_Adam]

I would set up a ground blind near water as probably the best option. Is your wife well practiced with a bow? Crossbows legal in wyoming I think it might be worth a look at onX maps and use promo code "RANDY" for 20% discount. Locate water holes, drainage ditches, creeks. I have found water in some odd places before. I would mix in the decoy option if your so inclined but also look for features that may allow a stalk. My wife did it with a crossbow using a drainage ditch. I've done it on open ground with ragged contours. You could sneak along and pop your head up and glass. Antelope move around and if your patient they make mistakes. You will have a great time, type of hunt suited to family adventure. Good luck.

She’s been practicing, she shot a bow as a kid, but she has a new one she is working with now. I do have OnX. It’s awesome. I’m doing some R-Scouting now, but we are familiar with the area from a prior deer tag there. Thanks!

 

[NV_Adam]

Welcome to HT!

Thanks!

 

[NV_Adam]

I imagine water hole is best odds, but your wife will have serious bragging rites if she pulls if off by spot and stalk.

Good Luck.

Yea she will. And I’ll be in for a serious workout following her around the desert.

 

[blue devil]

I am a decoy person when archery hunting antelope. I don't want to sit in an blind all day and wait. That's just what I like to do. I also hunt a little later in the season for that reason. A blind over water hole is probably very effective in the earlier season, where decoy for me seems to be effective in the later season or closer to the rut. Whatever you prefer

 

[wytex]

You may find a fence crossing and set up near it as well.
For a waterhole sit, if she doesn't want to sit all day , do some spot and stalk at first light then get in the blind for their mid morning or mid day drink.

 

[Goatshoes]

Something to consider if you want to do spot and stock is when your hunt occurs relative to the rut. If your hunt is pre-rut, like mine will be, the antelope will be more solitary and settled, making it a little easier to bed a buck and do a pure spot & stalk with fewer eyes watching. If you are hunting the rut, I would recommend either using the decoy or just getting close and waiting for that goat to make a mistake and close the distance for you while chasing off a younger buck or corralling does. I made a rifle season hunt a couple years ago while they were still rutting and those bucks were continuously moving. Let us know how it turns out regardless of what you choose.

 

[Bullshot]

My first antelope was an archery buck. I did not hunt over water but I hunted using terrain and vegetation and did some strategic stalks and sits to start the hunt. I started noticing that various herds and individuals were crisscrossing a ridge using a particular saddle and so when the coast was clear I constructed a crude circle out of dead sage and then sat in it. Other than the ants and some cactus spines, it provided good cover. It did not take too long, maybe two or three hours, for three bucks to come walking out of the valley towards the saddle and when they got in range, I drew and let fly. Antelope down. So the moral of the story is to stay flexible but be alert to opportunities. The hunt will take on the appropriate form if you do those two things.

 

[Antlerfreak]

Decoying and spot and stalk is a numbers game. early season it may take up to 20-30 attempts before getting in close enough or having a goat come into a decoy. During the rut is a different story, decoying may work 1 out of 4-5 times if done right. Whether early season or during the rut, If you try decoying, The goat is going to do 1 of 3 things. Round up his ladies and head out. Come charging in to fight (which is rare). Or 90% of the time the goat will circle around you to get down wind, and its always about 100-150 yard out. Keep that in mind and if the terrain allows for it, send your wife down wind of you 150 yards and hide as best as possible, even if its just a clump of sage. When you decoy the goat odds are he will circle down wind right in your wifes lap. Usually the shooter can get away with a lot because the goats attention is on the decoy. We've killed a lot of goats this way. Give this link a try https://killergear.com/product/antelopefan/

 

[pojoaque40]

Take a white T-shirt and wave it over your head like a french soldier. They'll come right in. Your wife should, as others have mentioned, be hidden downwind on the arc.

 

[JEL]

Decoying and spot and stalk is a numbers game. early season it may take up to 20-30 attempts before getting in close enough or having a goat come into a decoy. During the rut is a different story, decoying may work 1 out of 4-5 times if done right. Whether early season or during the rut, If you try decoying, The goat is going to do 1 of 3 things. Round up his ladies and head out. Come charging in to fight (which is rare). Or 90% of the time the goat will circle around you to get down wind, and its always about 100-150 yard out. Keep that in mind and if the terrain allows for it, send your wife down wind of you 150 yards and hide as best as possible, even if its just a clump of sage. When you decoy the goat odds are he will circle down wind right in your wifes lap. Usually the shooter can get away with a lot because the goats attention is on the decoy. We've killed a lot of goats this way. Give this link a try https://killergear.com/product/antelopefan/

This. I have killed antelope with my bow by spot and stalk, water hole sitting, fence crossing or trail sitting and decoying. Decoying is far my most liked but it has to be the right time and even weather conditions. Cool, cloudy, drizzling days during the peak of the rut with a decoy are my favorite days in the field.

 

[ccc23454]

Spot and stalk....will blow many tries but when she connects it will be worth it all the more

 

[Swinemaster]

Decoying and spot and stalk is a numbers game. early season it may take up to 20-30 attempts before getting in close enough or having a goat come into a decoy. During the rut is a different story, decoying may work 1 out of 4-5 times if done right. Whether early season or during the rut, If you try decoying, The goat is going to do 1 of 3 things. Round up his ladies and head out. Come charging in to fight (which is rare). Or 90% of the time the goat will circle around you to get down wind, and its always about 100-150 yard out. Keep that in mind and if the terrain allows for it, send your wife down wind of you 150 yards and hide as best as possible, even if its just a clump of sage. When you decoy the goat odds are he will circle down wind right in your wifes lap. Usually the shooter can get away with a lot because the goats attention is on the decoy. We've killed a lot of goats this way. Give this link a try https://killergear.com/product/antelopefan/

Wow. That is some damn good advice. Thanks for that! I've got an Arizona tag and was wondering if decoys would work in August. But it seems that this would work even if they're not full on rutting. In my whitetail hunting experience, in the pre-rut this is exactly what bucks do when you rattle or grunt at them. They almost always circle downwind. Unless you are one of those guys on TV! LOL